


the midnight club (1993)

by fortunatelyshynerd



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Mixed Media, Rock Stars, Social Media, Tumblr, Twitter, basically the parents were in an early 90s rock band, pls donate to wikipedia btw, thats it, wikipedia - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-29
Updated: 2019-10-29
Packaged: 2021-01-08 05:08:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21230309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fortunatelyshynerd/pseuds/fortunatelyshynerd
Summary: Stream the midnight club u cowards!!@kittyyFriendly reminder that the midnight club is the best album of the 1990sFred Andrews@fredandrewsformayor@kittyy Thank you!





	the midnight club (1993)

**Seven Heads Are Better Than One: An interview with the fredheads**

_ Rolling Stone, November 1993 _

“Riverdale was a small town, with a lot of small minded people,” Fred Andrews admits. “But doing that small town circuit trained us well, I think. We played pep rallies, birthday parties, frat parties and like, old folks homes - helped us appeal to more people.” 

The other members of the band nod in agreement. We are all crowded in a booth in a diner somewhere in the Upper West Side, table covered in plates of eggs and bacon and several rounds of cheap black coffee, made irish by a gleaming silver flask hidden in F.P Jones’s leather jacket. 

“I don’t know how much it prepared us for some other parts of the music industry,” Mary Moore (The Fredheads keyboardist) adds in. “Performing for kids we knew our whole lives doesn’t really match the scrutiny that the industry puts on you. What you look like, how you dress. It’s not just about the music any more.” Moore makes for a striking figure in the neon lights of the diner, newly short coppery hair glinting merrily. Later, when I comment on how often she must be compared to Molly Ringwald with her new ‘do - she rolls her eyes. “Every damn day! I met her the other week, at a party, and we don’t even look that similar. Completely different shade of red!”

Despite Moore’s trepidation, it’s clear that The Fredheads have been embraced by the music industry with open arms. Their debut album ‘The Midnight Club’ has been universally lauded by critics - a youthful, intriguing debut with surprisingly mature lyrics coming from a group barely out of their senior year, and an unfailingly catchy lead single (‘Sweet Water’) dominating the radio. 

The group is all involved in the recording and writing of their music, and according to their manager, are very protective about their own parts and solos. However, in a group as large and with such strong individual players as the Fredheads, disagreements are bound to happen. Vocals are split between Alice Smith and Hermione Gomez, but often they sing together, as on the electric duet “Prom Queen”, a stand-out track from the album. F.P Jones’ drumming often ranks him in the top working drummers of the moment, despite coming up so recently. The guitarists, Fred Andrews, Penelope Parker, Tom Keller sometimes fight for the listeners attention as in the tracks ‘Moonlight’ and ‘New Kid, but more often blend together beautifully as on ‘Sweet Water’. Last, but certainly not least, Mary Moore is well known for fighting loudly for her role in the group’s songs, and her piano work has often been noted as what gives the group their defining sound. 

When I asked about the follow up to ‘The Midnight Club’, Tom Keller (bassist and songwriter) coughs on his coffee. “We released the last one a few months ago! Give us some time!” he says, holding his hands up in mock surrender. “But..” he catches Fred Andrew’s eye across the booth, we have been working on some new stuff. Just ideas, a chorus or something.” 

When I ask why they are starting so soon on a new album, Fred Andrews (lead guitarist and songwriter) answers for him - “It’s an ongoing process, we’re constantly experimenting and writing.” Then he adds jokingly, “Plus Tommy here’s got some new inspiration” raising his eyebrows. 

Keller promptly leans over and flicks hard Andrews between the eyes. 

He later tells me, slightly drunk and stumbling out of the diner, that her name is Sierra and she’s way too smart to be going out with him. 

\------ 

**Hermione Appolonia Lodge (nee Gomez)** (born 23 April 1975) is an American singer, musician and socialite, best known as the singer for the rock band The Fredheads. 

Born in Riverdale, New York, Lodge attended Riverdale High School, with the other members of the The Fredheads - Fred Andrews, F.P Jones, Mary Andrews, Tom Keller and Penelope Blossom. Lodge began performing at a young age, winning the Little Miss New York Beauty Pageant in 1985 with a rendition of ‘Don’t Rain on My Parade’ by Barbara Streisand. 

Lodge remained with the group from their debut in 1992 until their break-up in 1997, releasing four critically acclaimed albums ‘The Midnight Club’, ‘Southside Blues’, ‘Syrup Trees’ and ‘Insider Baseball’. 

In 1998 Lodge married businessman Hiram Lodge, after meeting on the ‘Southside Blues’ Tour. They have one child together, Veronica Lodge, and live in New York City. 

\------

**Thomas Daniel Keller** (born 2 January 1975) is an American musician and businessman, best known as the bassist for the rock band The Fredheads. 

Born in Greendale, New York, Keller moved to Riverdale aged 12 and attended both Greendale Preparatory School and Riverdale High School where he met the members of The Fredheads. Keller began playing the bass guitar aged 16, when Fred Andrews and F.P Jones asked him to join their band to play at the Junior Prom. 

Keller is a credited writer and producer on The Fredheads four studio albums ‘The Midnight Club’, ‘Southside Blues’, ‘Syrup Trees’ and ‘Insider Baseball’ and remained with the band until their split in 1997. 

Keller and attorney Sierra McCoy dated between 1993 and 1995, having attended Riverdale High together. In 2000 Keller married Joanne Lewis and had a son, Kevin, in 2001. Lewis and Keller divorced in 2012. In 2015 Keller and McCoy married in a private ceremony attended by friends and their children. 

\------

**A Night Out With Hermione Gomez**

_ New York Magazine, June 1997 _

[...] When asked about what is next in her career, the singer remains coy. “I mean, who knows” she says, fixing her crimson lipstick in a pocket mirror. “The music industry is fickle. God, I’m the It girl now, but I could be yesterday’s news in a week. I want someone who loves me, for the good and the bad, and I would love them the same. I want people to like me not just because I sing love songs written by my ex-boyfriend from high school.” 

“I love the band and I love Fred, but it feels like I never left high school. Like my growth has been stunted.” 

_ Addition: As of 20 June 1997 The Fredheads have mutually decided to split ways and will no longer be working together _

\------

**Just 10 tweets about Penelope Blossom, the internet’s favourite goth mom **

_ Buzzfeed, November 2016 _

We stan. 

**lily** ** **

@lilyy

[screenshot of @penelopeblossom ‘s instagram: penelope is dramatically posing, holding a large pair of gardening shears, looking slightly threatening]

new reaction image lads

** **sara says stan loona** **

@pickmeup23

Penelope blossom gives off this an unnaitainable crystal seller/dominatrix/mob wife/lesbian vibe and her instagram is just pictures of plants or her in a nightdress so honestly good for her 

** **Daniel** **

@dnjohnson

[two screenshots of @fredandrews and @penelopeblossom ‘s instagrams: fred’s is a blurry picture of a dog, while penelope’s is a professionally taken photo of her in a red silk dress, not smiling]

Penelope blossom and fred andrews were in the same band and yet give off completely different vibes on social media 

** **Jules** **

@juules

I just saw penelope blossom in a supermarket buying rose and i cannot believe she actually exists on our mortal coil

** **Andrew ** **

@emoandy

Sure sex is great, but have you heard penelope blossom’s guitar solo in long night? 

** **jEnNiE** **

@jenniebp

[change my mind meme with ‘penelope blossom is the best guitarist in the fredheads’]

** **Dilton is an eagle scout!!** **

@diltondoiley

I forget sometimes that i actually live in the same town as fred andrews, bc like i saw him in the diner w/ penelope blossom in a full length gown and it felt like i stepped into another universe for a min 

** ★💘 **

@askjo

Yeah, life sucks but have u seen that ig live where penelope blossom gave sex toy reccomendations and then immediately instructions on how to make ur own tea? 

** **Sara** **

@sarraa

[picture of young penelope blossom in all black and sunglasses coming out of a club]

y’all wish u were as goth as nineties penelope blossom 

And finally, a tweet from her actual daughter: 

** **Cheryl** **

@cherylbombshell

[picture of penelope and cheryl dressed as morticia and wednesday addams for halloween]

I wish i had more time to seek out the dark forces and join their hellish crusade

\------

**Top 100 Albums of the 1990s **

_ Pitchfork _

[...] **065\. Syrup Trees **

** _The Fredheads, 1994_ **

The third album from early nineties legends, ‘The Fredheads’ began the departure from their previous youthful image and sound. Leaning more heavily on drummer F.P’s Jones and bassist Tom Keller, this album is darker and consistently challenging, moving from the strangely catchy _ Million Reasons, _ to the sonically spare and lyrically complex _ Syrup Trees. _

The album tells a complex story, different from their previously autobiographical stories of small town woe, littered with pagan imagery paired with a modern banalities is a fantastic departure from their admittedly more popular, but much simpler sophomore outing ‘Southside Blues’ earlier the same year. 

**[...] 021. The Midnight Club **

** _The Fredheads, 1993 _ **

You can’t beat the original. The Midnight Club was the perfect debut for the rock group, The Fredheads. An incredibly tight, well constructed album with not a note out of place, not a misused breath or lyric in sight. 

Everyone and their mother loves this album, with the lead single ‘Sweet Water’ practically becoming universal shorthand for small town teenage angst. Hermione Lodge is on top form on this album, especially on ‘Sweet Water’, showing how her talent would go on to be criminally underused in their later albums, and Fred Andrews and F.P Jones are predictably brilliant. 

This album, although very much of its time, is the epitome of promise and potential, potential that The Fredheads would go onto fulfill, despite their short career. 

\------

**Mary Andrews (nee Moore)** (born 23 December 1974) is an American musician and lawyer, best known as the keyboardist for The Fredheads. 

Born in Riverdale, New York, Andrews attended Riverdale High School, with the other members of The Fredheads. Andrews was also valedictorian of her graduating class. Andrews began to play the piano at age 7 and began to play the keyboard at age 17. 

Andrews remained with the band until their split in 1997, and is a credited producer on their four studio albums ‘The Midnight Club’, ‘Southside Blues’, ‘Syrup Trees’ and ‘Insider Baseball’. 

Mary Andrews and Fred Andrews (front-man and lead guitarist of The Fredheads) began dating in 1996 but broke up in 1997, after the group split. They became engaged again in 1999 and married in 2004. They have one son together, Archie, and live in Riverdale New York. 

Andrews attended Columbia Law School in 2005 and graduated magna cum laude. 

\------

**Fred Robert Andrews** (born 13 June 1975) is an American musician and politician, best known as the front-man, lead guitarist and de-facto leader of the rock group The Fredheads. 

Born in Riverdale, New York, Andrews attended Riverdale High School, where he would go on to recruit other members to play a pep rally. Andrews learned to play guitar aged 12, and began writing songs soon after. 

Andrews worked on all of the bands until their disbandment in 1997 and was reported to be very against the band disbanding. He is a credited producer and writer on all of their four studio albums. 

Fred Andrews married Mary Moore (keyboardist for The Fredheads) in 2005 after dating since 1997. They have one son, together and live in Riverdale, New York. Andrews’ brother Oscar died in 1998 in a car accident. 

From 2014-2018, Andrews served as Mayor of his hometown, Riverdale. 

\------ 

**Stream the midnight club u cowards!!**

@jjulestt

Friendly reminder that the midnight club is the best album of the 1990s 

**Fred Andrews **

@fredandrewsformayor

@jjulestt Thank you!

\------

**Penelope Blossom (nee Parker)** (born 3 January 1975) is an American musician and songwriter, best known as a guitarist for the rock group The Fredheads. 

Born in Greendale, New York, Blossom attended Greendale Academy until aged 16, when she moved to Riverdale, New York and to Riverdale High School. Blossom can play the guitar, the piano, the harpsichord and the flute; but occupied the role of guitarist in The Fredheads. 

Blossom was a main songwriter on all the groups four studio albums but is noted as having more influence over ‘Syrup Trees’, being lead writer on 6 out of the 10 main tracks. Blossom left the group shortly before their split in 1997, after getting married to businessman Clifford Blossom.

Penelope Blossom and Clifford Blossom (owner of Blossom Industries) have two children together. They divorced in 2010, citing irreconcilable differences, but Penelope Blossom chose to keep his last name. 

\------ 

**[Podcast Transcript] Who? Weekly - ** ** _Bella Thorne, More Meghan and The Fredheads Kids_ **

**Caller:** Hey! Longtime listener, first-time caller. Have you guys been noticing that all the kids of the members of the Fredheads have all been hanging out? Like, I know they all live quite near each other, but recently they’re all each other's feeds on Instagram and on each other's stories? Could this mean that their parents are spending more time together as well? I don’t know I just really fucking want a Fredheads reunion, is it just me? Anyway crunch crunch guys!

**Bobby:** Okay, caller, you are not the only one who wants a Fredheads reunion. Every-one wants a Fredheads reunion. Have you seen the trailer for their new HBO doc? It looks insane!

**Lindsey**: I knoww. I forgot how hot everyone from the Fredheads was in the nineties… like Fred Andrews looks like he was on 90210, god...

**Bobby: **Fred Andrews still looks like he’s on 90210, but like as the hot dad. 

**Lindsey**: And all their kids look so much like them!

**Bobby:** God! They all could be low-key models. Like Archie Andrews should be in like, Abercrombie ads. 

**Lindsey:** Firstly, before we start talking about how hot all their kids are, let's do a quick run-down of these famous spawn, along with like how old they are, so we can feel really old. 

**Bobby:** Okay, like quickfire - Archie Andrews, who is 17 and his parents are obviously Fred Andrews and Mary Andrews. He’s ginger, and my friend described him as like a mean jock’s friend in an 80s movie who is secretly nice. 

**Lindsey:** That’s right. Then there’s *snort* okay, so F.P -

**Bobby:** *laughs* 

**Lindsey:** Stop! So, F.P Jones son is carrying out the tradition of weird names and is called “Jughead”. 

**Bobby:** *snorts* 

**Lindsey:** Okay, but like I did some digging and his real name is Forsythe Pendleton Jones III, so he has the same name as his dad. So, like I get trying to differentiate. Also he is 18. God, F.P Jones’ son is 18. I feel old. 

**Bobby:** Tom Keller, who was the, um.. Bassist, has a son called Kevin Keller, which sounds like a fake name. His wife Sierra, has a daughter from her previous marriage, called Josie, who still like runs with the Fredheads kids crowd. She has a band called ‘Josie and the Pussycats’. I checked out their EP and it’s pretty good. 

**Lindsey:** I feel bad for the pussycats. Like their friend gets to keep their name, but they are ‘the pussycats’ forever. 

**Bobby:** Also, they all wear kitty ears!!

**Lindsey:** Wait that’s so cute! I take it back! 

**Bobby:** Everybody go listen to the EP ‘Josie and the Pussycats’, I think it’s on Spotify! Are we including the ex-member Alice, who ? Because she has two daughters who hangs out with them a lot? 

**Lindsey:** Yeah! The HBO doc has all of them in it, and so I think they all are cool with it. Their names are Betty and Polly and kinda look like their in some kind of mormon cult. But in like a cute, kinda urban outfitters way! They’re sweet!

**Bobby:** Finally, there is our favourite member of the band, Queen of crystal spon-cons - Penelope Blossom! She has twins - Cheryl and Jason. Jason isn’t on instagram, but is on Cheryl’s account a lot. Her insta is @cherylbombshell, which I LOVE. 

**Lindsey:** She clearly thought of that when she was fourteen and I appreciate that she has stuck with it. 

**Bobby:** We love a cheerleader! You might remember us talking about it a few months ago, because she put up a hilarious video of her cheer team dancing to ‘Syrup Trees’, which is like a very low-key sad song and it was really great. 

**Lindsey:** You know what? I bet they are getting back together. Like, Fred Andrews isn’t mayor anymore, all their kids are hanging out, they have a confessional HBO doc coming out, where they are obviously going to spill a lot of dirt - it’s the perfect comeback vehicle! Get it all out there, and then put out a great new album!

**Bobby:** I agree. Fredheads comeback, by… December! Calling it!

\------

fredheadss: 

Why am i crying? 

#the midnight club #the fredheads #shut up im emo

27 notes

rockyrolll:

Did fred andrews just say that he was in love with everyone in the band?? And that he could see himself marrying and falling in love with all them individually, but sometimes things just work out the way they do?? aaah

Edit: he just came out as bi on twitter?? We love

#fredheads #documentary 

721 notes

penblossm: 

Wow…. the explanation about the meaning behind insider baseball… like they were all trying to recreate the feeling of being in that small town environment even while they were working in the big city, and it was all just inside jokes that made them feel younger than they were, and how this messy group of ppl tried to make themselves a well oiled machine and it all eventually fell apart...

Where’s the movie? 

#give it all the oscars #the midnight club

387 notes

vintagepics:

[a set of unreleased pictures of the band, screenshots from the documentary. The pictures are blurry and taken on disposable cameras - fred andrews is kissing hermione lodge on the cheek, mary andrews is applying lipgloss in a lit mirror, fp jones smoking a cigarette, penelope blossom swigging from a wine bottle]

Wow this documentary was so aesthetically pleasing 

#vintage #1990s #documentary

1,260 notes

\------

**Forsythe Pendleton “F.P” Jones II **(born 23 March 1975) is an American musician, best known for being the drummer in the rock group The Freadheads. 

Born in New York City, New York, to Forsythe Pendleton Jones Snr., Jones moved to Riverdale, New York in 1982 and attended Southside High and Riverdale High School, where he met long-time collaborator and friend Fred Andrews, where they started the band which would become The Fredheads. Jones began playing the drums at age 15. 

Jones remained with the band until their split in 1997, although in 2019 he admitted to nearly leaving alongside then-girlfriend Alice Cooper in 1995. 

Jones married singer Gladys Jones in 1998, and they have two children together. They divorced in 2014, but reportedly remain on good terms. Jones is a former alcoholic and has attended AA meetings since 2017. 

\------

**Alice Cooper (nee Smith)** (born 19 August 1975) is an American musician, singer and journalist, best known for being a singer for ‘The Fredheads’, and writing for Rolling Stone Magazine.

Born in Riverdale, New York, Cooper attended Riverdale High School and joined the band that would go onto become The Fredheads in 1991. 

Cooper was a main vocalist on the groups first two albums, ‘The Midnight Club’ and ‘Southside Blues’, but left the group in 1995. She has blamed internal dynamics and her turbulent relationship with drummer F.P Jones. 

Cooper began writing for Rolling Stone Magazine in 1996, where she met husband Hal Cooper, a features writer at the magazine. The couple married in 2000, and have two children, Elizabeth and Polly. While writing at Rolling Stone, Cooper was nominated for and won a Pulitzer Prize in 2003 for her retrospective piece on the early 1990s music scene. 

\------

**The Fredheads are officially reuniting, and the internet cannot handle it **

_ Buzzfeed, 17 September 2019 _

**hallie**

@sparkie 

AAAAHHHH! 2019 saved! Our seven parents here to save the day 

** **Who? Weekly ** **

@whoweekly

called it. 

** **Apparently my dad used to be famous** **

@jughead 

Why are u so excited to see my dad? I have to see him every day 

** **Julie ** **

@juliee89

Sure my other dad left, but my three other dads (tom keller, fred andrews and fp jones) are returning on October 15!!!!!

** **Stan the fredheads ** **

@carafrancis

[video of supernanny saying ‘you guys are in a crisis. I’m on my way’]

The fredheads on their way to save the music industry: 

\-----

**The Fredheads** are an American rock band, formed in Riverdale, New York in 1991. The Fredheads was founded by guitarist Fred Andrews and drummer F.P Jones. Later members to be added were bassist Tom Keller, singers Alice Cooper and Hermione Lodge, keyboardist Mary Andrews and guitarist Penelope Blossom. 

The group went on to record four studio albums together, ‘Midnight Club’, ‘Southside Blues’, ‘Syrup Trees’ and ‘Inside Baseball’. They scored their first number one with ‘Sweet Water’ in 1993, the lead single from their album ‘The Midnight Club’. They went on to achieve four number one hits, with ‘Prom Queen’, ‘Southside Blues’, ‘Million Reasons’ and ‘Inside Baseball’. They won the Grammy for Best New Artist in 1994, and were nominated for the Grammy for Best Rock Album in 1995 and 1997, winning in 1995. 

In 1995 singer Alice Cooper left the group, after the recording of ‘Southside Blues’. The group disbanded in 1997 during the ‘Inside Baseball’ tour, but decided to continue performing together for the tour. In 2019, a documentary was made about the group called ‘The Midnight Club’. After the airing of the documentary, the group’s official twitter announced that they would be reuniting for a new album. Fred Andrews, F.P Jones, Hermione Lodge, Mary Andrews, Tom Keller, Penelope Blossom and Alice Cooper are all confirmed to be working on the album in some capacity. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> sorry, this is weird - i wrote this in a day, bc university is hard and i have a cold.


End file.
